Gladiolus
by imabari
Summary: Headed to the Southern Water Tribe in the hopes of finding a safe refuge there, Raja instead finds herself tangled up in the adventure of a lifetime that was anything but safe...
1. The Prologue

"Leave them and take me instead."

That was the only voice I heard before it drowned into mumbles. We were running now and before I even had time to process anything, we were at a small dock with an equally small boat. My father's voice snapped me out of my racing thoughts.

"Raja, listen to me. I need you to go to the Southern Water Tribe."

"What?" I asked. "Why?"

"I need you to stay safe, my panda lily. I am going to bring your mother back."

"How in the spirits are you going to do that?" I questioned.

"I...I don't know! But I will think of something. I won't let the Fire Nation take her away."

He looked at me with eyes filled with sorrow and dread. I so desperately wanted to protest, to tell him to take me along, but I knew he wouldn't agree to that. He just lost his love and trembles with the thought to lose his only daughter to the Fire Nation as well.

"...Alright. I'll go to the Southern Water Tribe." I said, defeated.

"It will be okay," he reassured me, "Our sister tribe will take care of you until I return with your mother by my side." I was not too sure about that...Would they really take care of me, the daughter of a Fire Nation mother and a Water Tribe father? Someone with the blood of the treacherous Fire Nation in them? What if they believe me to be a spy? I suppose I will have enough time to think about it on my journey there.

"I will be thinking of you every step of the way," my father claimed, "Your mother and I love you more than anything."

"I know. I love you too." I said, holding back the tears in my eyes while his fell like a waterfall.

After our farewells, I got ready and, dreadfully, made my journey to the Southern Water Tribe. Nothing could prepare me for what was going to take place there...


	2. On the Horizon

After a long and perilous journey, I finally arrived at what I believed to be the South Pole. The Water Tribe was nowhere in sight, and I started to panic. What if the Southern Water Tribe had been wiped out? The Northern Water Tribe, the one my father hails from, hasn't had any contact with their sister tribe since the war started. It could be very likely that they might no longer be there. Alright, if it just so happens that the Southern Water Tribe is no more, I am going to have to think of a backup plan, just in case. I could go back to the Earth Kingdom and find my father or maybe even go to Ba Sing Se and stay there. Ba Sing Se is the "impenetrable city" though a more accurate translation would be "perpetually strong city", either way the Fire Nation has yet to ever breach its walls. To get to Ba Sing Se I would have to go to Full Moon Bay, a hidden ferry station for refugees trying to escape the war. The only problem being is that I would have to get a passport somehow or find another way in. I could even go to the Northern Water Tribe if I had to, though the long and arduous journey would not be one I was looking forward to. Planning aside, it was about time I start heading to the Southern Water Tribe, if it's still there.

Later, hours upon hours of trudging through the snow and ice, I finally laid my eyes on something in the distance. It appeared to be a small village, maybe even a small village that was part of the Southern Water Tribe. Most live in its capital, but they do have some small villages spread out here and there. I suppose I am in luck, I could stop there for the day to rest and then get directions from them tomorrow morning! I started to pick up my pace a bit as I headed towards the small village…

As I finally arrived, the village wasn't really what I expected. It was tiny and compact, the walls made out of snow surrounding it were only midway up, as if they were built by some kids. I saw a somewhat large igloo, numerous tents spread around a campfire set up in the middle of the small area. I also saw what looked like a lopsided tower, possibly for them to look out and see if there was anyone, friend or enemy, headed their way. I slowly made my way into the miniature town. There were some women and children staring at me, muttering something as I entered the village, I decided to approach them.

"Excuse me, is there a place I could stay for the night? I am making a journey to the Southern Water Tribe." I stated cautiously. They all looked at me strangely like I was a polar dog chasing its tail.

"Well, uh, this _is_ the Southern Water Tribe…" one of the older women exclaimed. I stood there speechless with my mouth agape. **This** is the Southern Water Tribe? The city that was to provide my safety until my father returns? We left the Northern Water Tribe before I was born, so I never got to see it, but this is nothing like how my father described what a Water Tribe settlement was supposed to look like, much less what the capital city was supposed to look like. I mean, at the time, I was expecting something astounding to the eyes, like high walls made out of ice, an entire city made with waterbending!

"What do you mean this is the Southern Water Tribe? Is this the capital? How were you reduced to such a state?" I implored, already guessing at the answer.

"It was the Fire Nation. They came and wiped out our waterbenders. After that, we were devastated and the men had no choice but to go and help win the war." One of the adults claimed with a forlorn look in her eyes. This was why all contact to their sister tribe was lost, they were on the brink of extinction. Could I really stay in a place like this and be safe from the Fire Nation?

"That must have been awful! I'm so sorry for this..." I quavered.

"You don't have to apologize for something that wasn't your fault…" One of them responded. I know that I had nothing to do with the sickening thing that happened here, but to have Fire Nation blood in you, to be kin with the people that started this atrocious war, I felt the obligation to apologize. Feeling guilty and asking for forgiveness is the least I could do in an attempt to redeem the Fire Nation.

"...W-would you be willing to take me to who's in charge here…?" I asked, worried if they even had a leader anymore.

"The oldest one here is Kanna, she's the closest thing we have to a leader..." One of them informed me, pointing me in the direction to where this Kanna is. I made my way to the large igloo and walked inside.

"Um...excuse me, is there someone by the name of Kanna in here?" I inquired.

"Yes, that would be me. Who are you and why have you come here? The journey must have been arduous…" An old woman answered. She looked to be around 70 or 80 and was wearing a standard Water Tribe parka, except it was purple rather than the traditional blue.

"My name is Raja and my father is Tikaani from the Northern Water Tribe. He sent me here because…"

 _He thought the Southern Water Tribe would be a safe place for me to stay while he goes and breaks my mother out of jail, who also happens to be a Fire Nation soldier_ is what I wanted to say, but I couldn't bring myself to tell the truth.

"...Because he went off to help win the war and wanted me to be safe." I continued while she looked at me strangely, analyzing me. Some sweat formed on my brow.

"If you are from the Northern Water Tribe then why didn't you stay there?" She inquired, which was a very good point. In actuality we didn't live there because my father fell in love with a Fire Nation women and had a child with her, so we lived in the Earth Kingdom, never settling down, moving from place to place before my mother got arrested by the Fire Nation for betraying her country and my father thought it was a good idea to go after her.

"We left the Northern Water Tribe and moved to the Earth Kingdom because my father didn't like the their, uh, sexist traditions." I explained, which actually wasn't a complete lie, my father really did dislike his tribe's gender roles. He thought it impractical that only females learned healing, believing everyone should know how to heal themselves and others, and how to fight during times of war, like we were in now. Kanna looked at me strangely, with a mix of perplexity and slight shock in her eyes. Silence fell over us and I was scared to break it. Kanna appeared to be recalling something until she finally broke out of her trance and spoke.

"Well, I suppose you can stay here until your father returns to you."

I was just about to thank her when someone bursted in.

"Gran-Gran, I'm done with my chores...Oh! I didn't know I was interrupting…" A young girl walked in wearing a blue water tribe parka and some…"hair loopies". Kanna, or Gran-Gran, spoke.

"Raja, this is my granddaughter Katara. Katara, this is Raja, from the Northern Water Tribe, she will be staying with us for awhile."

After that, Katara offered to show me around the village, which didn't take long, and showed me where I would be staying. Then, she began asking me eagerly what her sister tribe was like and I told her I have not seen it either, since we left before I was born. She looked disheartened at that. But not for long, she got her spirits back and asked me if I was a waterbender. I understood why she asked that question, her whole tribe had their waterbenders wiped out, she has probably never even seen waterbending before. Sadly, I told her no, I couldn't bend at all. She deflated again and left me in my new room to get situated.

It has been quite awhile since that conversation took place. I got assigned to help Katara with her chores so there was plenty more time to talk with her and I think we could be becoming friends. Then, I met her brother, Sokka. Apparently, being the only male left in the tribe, he was their leader, but the one with true authority around here was Gran-Gran. I liked Sokka, he was distrustful of me at first, which is understandable during times of war, but I think he eventually warmed up to me. I had fun when I could with him, even though I had to survive through those awful jokes he had up his sleeve. I felt like I was truly becoming apart of this tribe, but one thing was still in the back of my mind: The fact I was half-fire nation.

We had all become so close and the feeling was mutual because they told me a tribe secret: Katara was a waterbender. They told me about how their mother sacrificed herself to protect her daughter and the last waterbender. I understood, after all, my own mother just recently gave herself up to the Fire Nation to protect her family.

After they revealed such a secret, I wanted to reveal mine. After hearing about how the Fire Nation basically ruined their lives, I just couldn't bring myself to say anything. I don't think they would take it well, if they found out about my heritage. They would feel even worse if I put it off for too long. I'll have to tell them soon, lest they put their trust in me to only have it broken.

In just a few days from now, a miracle would happen here that _no one_ was prepared for.


End file.
